


The Minimum Required to Survive

by wraith816



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-09-05
Updated: 2005-09-05
Packaged: 2017-10-18 02:13:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/183853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wraith816/pseuds/wraith816
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daniel returns from Atlantis.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Minimum Required to Survive

When Daniel finally comes back from Atlantis, Jack is there in the gate-room, ready to meet him. The linguist steps through the event horizon, already talking at warp speed, his hands gesturing wildly as he tells Jack about whatever marvelous discoveries he's made in the Pegasus Galaxy. Jack can't keep up with the steady stream of words, but he smiles and nods anyway, caught up in Daniel's unbounded enthusiasm.

“It’s...it’s amazing, Jack!” he ends, breathless now

“Hello Daniel. Nice to see you. How've you been?” Jack asks amusedly.

He laughs lightly, and God, Jack's missed that sound. “Not bad. You?”

Jack shakes his head, stepping forward and pulling Daniel into a tight hug, getting a cheap thrill from doing this at the foot of the ramp, right where everyone can see them, like that time after they blew up Apophis' ship. He holds Daniel close, because it's been two long years since they've been face to face, because he's the head of homeworld security and he can do whatever he damned well pleases, because it's _Daniel_. Daniel's hands are on his back, their warmth seeping through Jack's clothes. They weren't warm the last time he saw the younger man...

 _It snowed the night before Daniel left for Atlantis. He was worried the snow would delay the Daedalus launch, but Jack assured him that the third time was the charm. The first expedition had seen Jack standing in Daniel's way; the second, it was Vala and her bracelets. So, Daniel would have to make it to Pegasus this time, right?_

 _The warm glow of both the flickering orange firelight and a little too much alcohol had made Jack brave, or maybe just a little reckless. He was tired, tired of the hiding, tired of the close calls, tired of pretending Daniel meant so little to him. He’d never planned on saying a word, especially in such sappily romantic conditions – a power outage, a raging snowstorm outside that left the house freezing, a fire for warmth, sitting so close together on the couch. But it seemed right at the time._

 _So it was a spur of the moment kind of thing, when Jack put down his beer bottle and took Daniel's chilled hand in his, announcing, "I'm in love with you, Daniel."_

 _Daniel was silent for a moment, so Jack continued, tracing his fingers over the younger man's cold hand, "I...I realized it when you died...went away...ascended. Whatever. Knew what I felt for you was more than just friendship. Been scared a long time, Daniel – that I'd lose you, that you wouldn't understand, that you’d freak...I just had to say it before you go."_

 _The archeologist took a breath, "Wow...I...I don’t know what to say."_

 _"Um, telling me you're not gonna deck me would be a good start."_

 _"I'm not going to hit you. I...I'm honored Jack. I really am."_

 _"I'm sensing a 'but' here..."_

 _"I...I can't...I'm straight, Jack."_

 _"I know."_

 _"I do love you as a friend, you know. You're the best friend I've ever had. I just can't love you like that."_

 _"I understand."_

 _"So...friends?"_

 _"Yeah. Friends."_

 _"Are you going to be all right?"_

 _Jack sighed, "I think so." He pulled his hand from Daniel's, wishing he had felt warmth there._

 _The corner of Daniel's mouth turned upwards, an almost-smile. "C'mere."_

 _Daniel wasn't normally tactile with others, but he put his arms loosely around Jack anyway. How long they stayed like that, Jack didn't know._

And after two long years, he's hugging Daniel in the embarkation room. It's not a lovers' embrace, just two good friends meeting after a long separation. Jack's head tells him that moments like these can be enough, that he can live on friendship. Jack's heart knows otherwise.


End file.
